Everyone seems to want to spend less these days. Maybe Oprah was thinking of recession busting when she decided to spring for free food from KFC. Unfortunately the promotion fell flat...really really flat...because KFC didn't have enough chicken to meet the demand. And that was just the first day. But, even though the little people didn't get a free lunch, KFC and Oprah got something for free: a lot of bad publicity, which they "richly" deserved because of their incredibly poor planning.
The moral seems to be, if you want to save money cook for yourself.
Here's a recipe for chicken spaghetti that feeds a lot of people for very little money:
source
Watching Clara Cannucciari was fun and I admire her spunk, but I like Ree Drummond's receipe better because it's baked instead of fried. Her web site, ThePioneerWoman.com, is one place to look for simple and frugal recipes. I regret looking at the site today though, because she posted a recipe for Peanut Butter Pie, and now I'm craving it in a big way.
A good book about growing up during the Depression is Mildred Armstrong Kalish's "Little Heathens". Set on an Iowa farm, Kalish's memoir vividly describes the family's way of life, and helps [this reader, anyway] maintain perspective regarding the current economic "crisis". For example, Kalish writes that "the only things my grandparents spent money on were tea, coffee, sugar, salt, white flour, cloth and kerosene." Can you imagine? Now THAT'S cutting expenses to the bone. My own grandmother at least bought raisins, so my father could take a raisin sandwich for his lunch at school. And speaking of Depression-era cuisine, the book contains recipes for making down-home dishes such as Porcupines and Cotton Tops, as well as good old fashioned comfort foods like meatloaf and apple sauce cake. The recipes may also be found online here. Check out "grandma's hiccup cure", too.
As a child born of parents who grew up during The Depression, I have deep roots in thrift; however, in today's world, "denying" one's self during difficult economic times has quite different implications. Hardship then might have meant no meat for supper, or quitting high school to help support the family. Today, I dare say you would be considered a hardship case if you couldn't afford cable TV for a while. (And just in case, you could still watch a show online at www.hulu.com.)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
#59 Your Daily Bread
Yesterday I read an infuriating news story. At a time when more and more families are forced to finance basic necessities, many of the largest banks are raising credit card rates! Why? Because the government is looking at credit card reform. And banks want to make as much money as they can, before new legislation takes effect that would limit their ability to tack on extra fees. Unbelievable.
People may say, well don't use credit then! Pay cash! I don't know anyone [my age] who doesn't have credit cards. And here's the reason. They are a necessity if you want to establish a credit history, and the history is needed in order to qualify for a mortgage. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you are required to literally buy into this system if you want to be responsible for putting a roof over your head. And you have to pay all your bills on time, or your FICA score will be adversely affected. I learned a lot by reading the article How Credit Scores Work, and got a perfect score on the credit quiz (yay!). However, PRIOR to doing the reading, I didn't realize that loan inquiries or applying for a credit card can negatively effect your credit score, or that people with less than perfect credit are charged higher insurance rates. Your scores may also determine how big a deposit you will have to pay for telephone, electricity, or natural gas service, and whether or not your application for a rental apartment is approved. One's credit history has many more implications than I ever realized, so I'm pleased this topic is being addressed as an iHCPL learning module. For people like me who would like to be better informed about personal finance, there is also an online guide from CNN money called Money 101 here.
Since I find the current credit/lending/banking situation somewhat exasperating, I have the adopted the following spending plan. It is: If you can't pay for it by the end of the month, don't buy it.
There are many web resources which explain how to develop a monthly budget. Someday, when the word "budget" doesn't immediately induce in me a dizzy spell, headache, and/or angina, perhaps I will actually access one of these resources, such as About.com's Frugal Living site. Bankrate.com's article "8 experts recall their best personal finance advise" was very informative. I liked Neale Godfrey's suggestion: "Step away from the television and the magazines. All they serve to do is show you how stupid you are because you've missed whatever they're talking about..." I also found Peter Navarro's counsel timely and astute: "Take every piece of advice you get from any investment adviser with a barrel of salt. Most are trying to sell you things that you probably don't need or want. Think for yourself."
I looked at the TCDRS web page briefly. I wanted to see my personal account, but the site told me I had to contact a TCDRS representative to get a PIN number first. I called the number listed on the site, but I haven't received my PIN number yet. Hopefully I will get "instant access" sometime soon. Not that I'm impatient or anything. I am a looooong way from retirement. And happily, my retirement fund, however much it is, is earning 7% in spite of stock market fluctuations. Now that's a blessing.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
#58 Money and Finance
It took me a long time before I was ready to try online banking and bill paying services. I worried about security issues and identity theft and just did not want to take the risk. Then I got socked with a few finance charges for late payments. Good motivator.
I now use these wonderfully convenient services that are always accessable, even at 11 pm when I suddenly have one of those oh-my-goodness-the-mortgage-is-due-today moments. I love that I don't have to make sure I get to the bank before it closes, stand in line, buy stamps, or listen to an automated answering service in order to take care of business.
My banks offer a variety of security safeguards to their customers. One has 3 levels of security in order to protect my financial information. They use a 128-bit encryption, automatic time out for banking sessions, and password protection. They encourage customers to change their password periodically in order to provide optimum security. Another bank I use offers a $0 Liability Guarantee against unauthorized account activity, and a SiteKey which includes an image I choose, so that I know I am visiting the bank's actual web page and not a "spoof" site. I look for the padlock icon to make sure a site is secure as well.
I'm not thrilled about linking all my bank accounts into one service, using a site such as Mint.com. I'll keep it in mind though. I noticed that the site has received the editor's choice award from PC magazine and other good recommendations; however, my finances won't be affected much by using budget management software. Basically there isn't enough money to manage. I like that on Mint there is a blog which includes tons of financial information and archived articles. There was one called "Strapped for Cash? Take a Fakecation". The writer suggests that if you are longing for a vacation in Paris, for example, but don't have the money right now, you can fake yourself out with a trip to Quebec City. Interesting idea.
I took the "Do you have a spending problem" quiz, and my results were 60. The average score for my income group was 54, and the average for MSN Money readers was 60, so I feel pretty good about my spending habits. Basically I don't do much shopping. I don't buy bottled water, and I try not to buy non-food related items at the grocery store. I use local businesses to meet most of my needs and therefore I'm not spending a lot on gas. My internet, phone, and cable are bundled, and I don't use banks that charge fees for checking or savings accounts. I frequently save 20% by using a microwave rather than a full size oven. (I didn't know that was what I was doing when I decided I'd rather nuke leftovers than cook, but hey cool.) I liked the reminders for keeping automotive costs low, such as properly inflating your tires and checking www.fueleconomy.gov for the lowest gas prices by location. I would like to save more on utilities. I already watch my thermostat, but being aware of temperature settings can only save you so much. I was surprised the Consumer Reports article didn't mention proper home insulation as a way to save on utility bills.
One thing I did as a result of this exercise was apply for a no fee credit card which gives cash back bonuses. Because I really need a Fakecation fund.
I now use these wonderfully convenient services that are always accessable, even at 11 pm when I suddenly have one of those oh-my-goodness-the-mortgage-is-due-today moments. I love that I don't have to make sure I get to the bank before it closes, stand in line, buy stamps, or listen to an automated answering service in order to take care of business.
My banks offer a variety of security safeguards to their customers. One has 3 levels of security in order to protect my financial information. They use a 128-bit encryption, automatic time out for banking sessions, and password protection. They encourage customers to change their password periodically in order to provide optimum security. Another bank I use offers a $0 Liability Guarantee against unauthorized account activity, and a SiteKey which includes an image I choose, so that I know I am visiting the bank's actual web page and not a "spoof" site. I look for the padlock icon to make sure a site is secure as well.
I'm not thrilled about linking all my bank accounts into one service, using a site such as Mint.com. I'll keep it in mind though. I noticed that the site has received the editor's choice award from PC magazine and other good recommendations; however, my finances won't be affected much by using budget management software. Basically there isn't enough money to manage. I like that on Mint there is a blog which includes tons of financial information and archived articles. There was one called "Strapped for Cash? Take a Fakecation". The writer suggests that if you are longing for a vacation in Paris, for example, but don't have the money right now, you can fake yourself out with a trip to Quebec City. Interesting idea.
I took the "Do you have a spending problem" quiz, and my results were 60. The average score for my income group was 54, and the average for MSN Money readers was 60, so I feel pretty good about my spending habits. Basically I don't do much shopping. I don't buy bottled water, and I try not to buy non-food related items at the grocery store. I use local businesses to meet most of my needs and therefore I'm not spending a lot on gas. My internet, phone, and cable are bundled, and I don't use banks that charge fees for checking or savings accounts. I frequently save 20% by using a microwave rather than a full size oven. (I didn't know that was what I was doing when I decided I'd rather nuke leftovers than cook, but hey cool.) I liked the reminders for keeping automotive costs low, such as properly inflating your tires and checking www.fueleconomy.gov for the lowest gas prices by location. I would like to save more on utilities. I already watch my thermostat, but being aware of temperature settings can only save you so much. I was surprised the Consumer Reports article didn't mention proper home insulation as a way to save on utility bills.
One thing I did as a result of this exercise was apply for a no fee credit card which gives cash back bonuses. Because I really need a Fakecation fund.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
#57 TXT U L8R
I am a dinosaur. I do not own a cell phone, so I've never had occasion to send a text message. A while ago I heard on the news that phone companies make more money on text messages than on phone calls. They certainly made a lot of money off Sofia Rubenstein....or rather her parents. Last month the 17 year old high school junior sent 6,807 messages, which resulted in her family receiving a wireless bill in excess of $1,100 for the month!
When the Texas Gulf Coast was devastated by hurricane Ike, people in this area were extremely thankful for texting. With spotty access to electricity and heavy cell phone use overwhelming available lines, text messaging enabled at least limited communication. In emergencies and natural disasters, hearing an actual human voice probably would have been preferable, but lacking that option, texting meant the world to many families trying to find out if their loved ones were safe.
I borrowed a coworker's cell phone to try and send a message. It was confusing. I think if I ever get my own cell phone I would become comfortable with the process fairly quickly. I'm already familiar with some of the SMS slang from visiting on line chat rooms and message boards, tyvm. Lingo2word.com looked like a good site for staying current with popular shortcuts. OnlineTextMessage.com and txt2day.com allow you to send a free text message to a mobile phone from your computer. You have to take the filters off the library computers for it to work.
According to Paul Saffo, a technology trend forecaster in Silicon Valley, "the act of texting automatically removes 10 I.Q. points". Last year the American College of Emergency Physicians warned that they are seeing many serious accidents involving oblivious texters. The ER doctors cited reports from doctors around the country of injuries involving text-messaging pedestrians, bicyclists, even cooking accidents. Most of the injuries "involved scrapes, cuts and sprains from texters who walked into lampposts or walls or tripped over curbs". Distractions as brief as 2 seconds can cause accidents or near misses while driving a car, according to a 2006 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. I agree with the California Public Utilities Commission temporary ban on the use of all mobile devices by anyone at the controls of a moving train, and think texting should be prohibited while driving an automobile as well.
When the Texas Gulf Coast was devastated by hurricane Ike, people in this area were extremely thankful for texting. With spotty access to electricity and heavy cell phone use overwhelming available lines, text messaging enabled at least limited communication. In emergencies and natural disasters, hearing an actual human voice probably would have been preferable, but lacking that option, texting meant the world to many families trying to find out if their loved ones were safe.
I borrowed a coworker's cell phone to try and send a message. It was confusing. I think if I ever get my own cell phone I would become comfortable with the process fairly quickly. I'm already familiar with some of the SMS slang from visiting on line chat rooms and message boards, tyvm. Lingo2word.com looked like a good site for staying current with popular shortcuts. OnlineTextMessage.com and txt2day.com allow you to send a free text message to a mobile phone from your computer. You have to take the filters off the library computers for it to work.
According to Paul Saffo, a technology trend forecaster in Silicon Valley, "the act of texting automatically removes 10 I.Q. points". Last year the American College of Emergency Physicians warned that they are seeing many serious accidents involving oblivious texters. The ER doctors cited reports from doctors around the country of injuries involving text-messaging pedestrians, bicyclists, even cooking accidents. Most of the injuries "involved scrapes, cuts and sprains from texters who walked into lampposts or walls or tripped over curbs". Distractions as brief as 2 seconds can cause accidents or near misses while driving a car, according to a 2006 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. I agree with the California Public Utilities Commission temporary ban on the use of all mobile devices by anyone at the controls of a moving train, and think texting should be prohibited while driving an automobile as well.
Friday, April 3, 2009
#56 To Tweet or Not To Tweet
According to TwiTip, a blog that posts news and information relevant to the Twittering community, microblogging is up 964.5% this year. I've hardly gotten started with Twitter, and already I'm reading about "Twitter Fatigue", and an impending "Twipocalypse"? That's incredible! But once I started exploring Twitter, I understood. I think this whole microblogging bubble is largely the fault of Perez Hilton.
If you take a look at Celebrity Tweet, you'll find him everywhere. I saw a few posts by other celebrities such as Robin Williams and William Shatner. Ellen Degeneras tweeted that 2 tickets to her show were hidden at a bus stop between Kenwood and Maple. At least someone benefitted from that information. But there was no escaping the inanities of PH. And boy, do celebrities swear a lot! If you like swearing, and unbridled celebrity self promo, you'll love Celebrity Tweet.
I couldn't figure out how to use the topic search feature on Twitter without signing up for an account, so I did, but then I couldn't decide what topic to search. In the right hand margin was a list of popular queries; that was helpful. I decided to search haiku. Apparently, there is an Easter haiku tweeting competition happening, with the prize being a copy of "The Easter Parade" by Richard Yates, so there were a ton of tweets and a deluge of bad poetry. Other contests with give-aways are easily found...just type "contest" in the search box. Within a few minutes I saw tweets for a John Lennon Songwriting contest, a Jonas Brothers contest, Columbia River Reader's Spring Photo contest, a Logo Design contest, a Jim Beam Remake contest, a Worm Eating contest, and then I stopped refreshing the page....blecck! My innocent search for a bit of poetry literally ended up opening a can of worms.
I haven't decided whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous twits on Twitter, or to take arms against a sea of tweets, and by opposing end them.
If you take a look at Celebrity Tweet, you'll find him everywhere. I saw a few posts by other celebrities such as Robin Williams and William Shatner. Ellen Degeneras tweeted that 2 tickets to her show were hidden at a bus stop between Kenwood and Maple. At least someone benefitted from that information. But there was no escaping the inanities of PH. And boy, do celebrities swear a lot! If you like swearing, and unbridled celebrity self promo, you'll love Celebrity Tweet.
I couldn't figure out how to use the topic search feature on Twitter without signing up for an account, so I did, but then I couldn't decide what topic to search. In the right hand margin was a list of popular queries; that was helpful. I decided to search haiku. Apparently, there is an Easter haiku tweeting competition happening, with the prize being a copy of "The Easter Parade" by Richard Yates, so there were a ton of tweets and a deluge of bad poetry. Other contests with give-aways are easily found...just type "contest" in the search box. Within a few minutes I saw tweets for a John Lennon Songwriting contest, a Jonas Brothers contest, Columbia River Reader's Spring Photo contest, a Logo Design contest, a Jim Beam Remake contest, a Worm Eating contest, and then I stopped refreshing the page....blecck! My innocent search for a bit of poetry literally ended up opening a can of worms.
I haven't decided whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous twits on Twitter, or to take arms against a sea of tweets, and by opposing end them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
#55 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Facebook
With over 175 million active users, the social networking site Facebook is an interesting and enjoyable way to keep in touch with friends and family. I started using Facebook a few months ago, after a high school classmate suggested giving it a try. It's been fun reconnecting with people I haven't seen in many years. Some friends have expressed trepidation about using Facebook, because of privacy concerns. A friend of a friend of a friend could stumble upon your information and use it for who knows what purpose. I certainly understand these concerns. Would-be trolls, stalkers, old flames, or even potential new flames, can be foiled though. There are ways to control how much information on your Facebook page is shared, and with whom. Read about how to use Facebook privacy settings here.
This brings me to the things I don't like so much about Facebook. I think it takes a lot of time for new users to understand how the site works. Directions, such as how to change privacy settings, aren't easy to find, at least they weren't for me. I didn't even know some of the privacy options existed until I read about them in the iHCPL Next Generation blog. I'm not sure I'm really keen on the actual Facebook lay out either. It doesn't seem logical. I've also noticed that applications sometimes take FOREVER to load.
In spite of these drawbacks, I'm still planning on keeping up with friends and family via Facebook. It's pretty addicting. There are so many fun applications to explore and share. I play a game app called Scramble and so do some of my friends. We can challenge each other to games and compare scores. I really like Adopt a Reef too. With this app you can decorate your own patch of ocean with sea creatures and send things like octopi and giant kelp to your friends. Based on usage, Facebook sends a portion of advertising revenue to the Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans. Sharing Flair is fun too. Oh SNAP! There's a Harris County Public Library flair! I could not resist adding that to my bulletin board, and sending one to a coworker. Thanks, whoever made that :D (Who did???)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
#54 Social Networking Through Books
I was delighted when I found out that my local library had started a book club. Opportunities to share my love of reading with other adults were rare. I still remember the first book I read after joining; it was "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon.
There are many online social networking sites where people can share their love of books, such as LibraryThing, Goodreads, and Shelfari. Facebook has added an application called Visual Bookshelf to their interest-based online community as well. I prefer face-to-face interaction with my fellow book club participants, but I also enjoy using web resources. LibraryThing has dozens of groups in which one can participate. I looked at a few of them and had to stop, because some of the posts are hilarious. (Try reading "The Person Below Me" thread on the LT group called "Off Topic". And no sniggering in the workroom.)
I like our library book club. We try to vary our reading "diet" by selecting books from many genres, and selection is driven by input from members. Once we read "My Life in France" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. I just found out that a movie, based on the book, is in production, and it stars Meryl Streep. I think it would be fun to invite the book club to take a field trip to [France or] go see the movie when it comes out in August. Taking the time to do something a little different, once in awhile, can spice up any bookclub; however, I won't be encouraging field trips abroad or suggesting a "Read it and eat it" based on next month's selection, "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".
I'm not very comfortable using live book club resources to recommend books to others. Many of the sites have lists of recommended reading, or most popular books, or top books by star ratings, etc. I found a few titles that intrigued me, for example "The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits", and "The Elegance of the Hedgehog". "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" came up quite a bit, as did a graphic novel entitled "The Pride of Baghdad", but I think I'd really prefer to read the book for myself, before recommending it to others.
I searched Goodreads and LibraryThing to see how their members rated "Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship". It wasn't surprising to find that almost everyone gave this appealing book about resilience and love at least 4 stars.
There are many online social networking sites where people can share their love of books, such as LibraryThing, Goodreads, and Shelfari. Facebook has added an application called Visual Bookshelf to their interest-based online community as well. I prefer face-to-face interaction with my fellow book club participants, but I also enjoy using web resources. LibraryThing has dozens of groups in which one can participate. I looked at a few of them and had to stop, because some of the posts are hilarious. (Try reading "The Person Below Me" thread on the LT group called "Off Topic". And no sniggering in the workroom.)
I like our library book club. We try to vary our reading "diet" by selecting books from many genres, and selection is driven by input from members. Once we read "My Life in France" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. I just found out that a movie, based on the book, is in production, and it stars Meryl Streep. I think it would be fun to invite the book club to take a field trip to [France or] go see the movie when it comes out in August. Taking the time to do something a little different, once in awhile, can spice up any bookclub; however, I won't be encouraging field trips abroad or suggesting a "Read it and eat it" based on next month's selection, "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".
I'm not very comfortable using live book club resources to recommend books to others. Many of the sites have lists of recommended reading, or most popular books, or top books by star ratings, etc. I found a few titles that intrigued me, for example "The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits", and "The Elegance of the Hedgehog". "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" came up quite a bit, as did a graphic novel entitled "The Pride of Baghdad", but I think I'd really prefer to read the book for myself, before recommending it to others.
I searched Goodreads and LibraryThing to see how their members rated "Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship". It wasn't surprising to find that almost everyone gave this appealing book about resilience and love at least 4 stars.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
#53 Buy the Book, or not, Online
I had to laugh when I read that the founder of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, was a precocious child who, as a toddler, attempted to dismantle his crib with a screwdriver. I, for one, am grateful that such genius was channeled into the creation of a dot-com retail business whose priority is books. Because who knows what he would have done with all that energy otherwise.
People in marketing must really love the internet. It seems so easy to sell books online! In addition to Amazon, the larger book stores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders have web sites which are available 24/7. I didn't realize that you could also check the availability of books, for a specific zip code, on these web pages. I checked Barnes & Nobel's site for my bookclub book, "The Fiction Class" by Susan Breen. Once you get to the title, there is a link and a pop up for typing in your zip code. Area stores which do not have the book in stock are displayed with a red "x", while those that do have the item earn a green checkmark. It couldn't be easier to get great customer service.
There are so many book-related sites on the internet, I can't imagine anyone not being able to find what they need. At Alibris.com, one can search for textbooks and rare items, or even purchase a signed first edition of Winston Churchill's "Thoughts and Adventures" if you have an extra $12,500 lying around. It's as easy as clicking "Add to My Cart". BookMooch looks like an interesting resource for recycling and trading books. There's an ultimate guide for the best places to get free books here.
Many libraries, including the one where I work, have added digital media to their collections, and these items are offered free to the public. Patrons can browse the collection and check out books and music to enjoy on their MP3 players, iPhones, and iPods.
How does my real world compare to my cyber world? If I search for book stores in my zipcode, google gives me a list of 16 stores. The book store closest to me is Barnes & Noble, about 6 miles away. (As already mentioned, their website is amazing.) Other nearby places which sell books are Walmart and CVS. Both are within a mile or so of my house. Walmart has an online presence, and you can search for books, but you can't tell from the webpage if the item is in stock at specific stores. From the CVS webpage, you can order "Hooked on Phonics Discover Reading - Baby Edition". From the description, this sounds like a great item. It's actually a kit that includes board books, a music CD, a DVD, a parent guide and more, but it's not available for purchase locally.
"Pompeii" by Robert Harris is available from Amazon.com for $11.16 new. Used copies start at $4.88. Alibris has used copies in paperback for $1.99. Harris County Public Library offers this title through the digital overdrive catalog, at the best price, free.
It took my really slow computer at home several minutes to download and install Windows Media Player, but it did, eventually. Then I listened to the audio version of "Pompeii", which I checked out from HCPL's digital catalog. Maybe it was because I was tethered to my desk (instead of my Zune), too many familial distractions, or some combination of these and other reasons, but I found it difficult to concentrate on the audiobook.
Nobody ever said teaching an old bibliophile new tricks would be easy.
People in marketing must really love the internet. It seems so easy to sell books online! In addition to Amazon, the larger book stores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders have web sites which are available 24/7. I didn't realize that you could also check the availability of books, for a specific zip code, on these web pages. I checked Barnes & Nobel's site for my bookclub book, "The Fiction Class" by Susan Breen. Once you get to the title, there is a link and a pop up for typing in your zip code. Area stores which do not have the book in stock are displayed with a red "x", while those that do have the item earn a green checkmark. It couldn't be easier to get great customer service.
There are so many book-related sites on the internet, I can't imagine anyone not being able to find what they need. At Alibris.com, one can search for textbooks and rare items, or even purchase a signed first edition of Winston Churchill's "Thoughts and Adventures" if you have an extra $12,500 lying around. It's as easy as clicking "Add to My Cart". BookMooch looks like an interesting resource for recycling and trading books. There's an ultimate guide for the best places to get free books here.
Many libraries, including the one where I work, have added digital media to their collections, and these items are offered free to the public. Patrons can browse the collection and check out books and music to enjoy on their MP3 players, iPhones, and iPods.
How does my real world compare to my cyber world? If I search for book stores in my zipcode, google gives me a list of 16 stores. The book store closest to me is Barnes & Noble, about 6 miles away. (As already mentioned, their website is amazing.) Other nearby places which sell books are Walmart and CVS. Both are within a mile or so of my house. Walmart has an online presence, and you can search for books, but you can't tell from the webpage if the item is in stock at specific stores. From the CVS webpage, you can order "Hooked on Phonics Discover Reading - Baby Edition". From the description, this sounds like a great item. It's actually a kit that includes board books, a music CD, a DVD, a parent guide and more, but it's not available for purchase locally.
"Pompeii" by Robert Harris is available from Amazon.com for $11.16 new. Used copies start at $4.88. Alibris has used copies in paperback for $1.99. Harris County Public Library offers this title through the digital overdrive catalog, at the best price, free.
It took my really slow computer at home several minutes to download and install Windows Media Player, but it did, eventually. Then I listened to the audio version of "Pompeii", which I checked out from HCPL's digital catalog. Maybe it was because I was tethered to my desk (instead of my Zune), too many familial distractions, or some combination of these and other reasons, but I found it difficult to concentrate on the audiobook.
Nobody ever said teaching an old bibliophile new tricks would be easy.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
#52 What to Read
How could I NOT instantly admire a woman who, in 2003, wrote a guide to good reading called "Book Lust"? I think I've found a new literary guru in Nancy Pearl. Despite her academic background and celebrity, Pearl promotes books with the understanding that the most important aspect of reading is enjoyment. Of course, educators and others will still want people to be familiar with the classics (I recommend "The 5-Minute Iliad" by Greg Nagan for time-strapped individuals). Classics provide us with cultural bedrock and exemplary literary models, but Pearl's philosophy is simple. Serve patrons by attempting to address their needs without pretense. To me, Pearl's outlook was like discovering the Tao of Reader's Advisory. Her "Rule of 50" is simply divine. It states, "If you still don't like a book after slogging through the first 50 pages, set it aside. If you're more than 50 years old, subtract your age from 100 and only grant it that many pages."
In my opinion, the best way to recommend books is to read lots and lots of them. Go to any book on Amazon.com and scroll to the "customers who bought this item also bought" section, for some surprisingly good suggestions as well. I also like Stacy Alesi's advise on providing great reader's advisory service:
Start off simply: if they're looking for a best seller that isn't on the shelf, ask if they've read other books by that author or authors who write in a similar style.
Ask them for the name of the last good book they read. This can lead you to the style or author or genre or setting that is appealing to your customer.
Always resepect a person's reading tastes. Just because you liked a book doesn't mean everyone will.
Be familiar with current and popular books and know your collection.
Ask customers to share their opinions about books they've read.
I searched for a read-alike using the NoveList data base, for "Pompeii" by Robert Harris. When submitting a request, the user can choose to narrow the search, and so I did that, restricting results to historical fiction and ancient civilizations. The results included "The Price of Victory", "Maia of Thebes", and "Dawn of Empire". I was surprised that, out of the first 20 results, I hadn't heard of any of these titles! Then I proceeded to Fiction_L Booklists, the Morton Grove Public Library's Reader's Advisory website. I searched "genre based lists" and "Historical Fiction of Different Cultures" (just because those seemed like the most appropriate options). The result was different from the NoveList search, and included authors such as Pearl Buck, Ken Follett, and James Michener. The NoveList search was faster...I simply typed the book's title....but I liked the results of the Fiction_L Booklist search better.
Then I looked for 2 books about animals for a 4th grade girl. NoveList has a link for "older children". I clicked on "recommended reads" and "animals", which took me to a linked page of animal groups. When I chose the group "horses", there were oodles of results. I decided I would recommend "Album of Horses" by Marguerite Henry, because my own daughters loved this book, and we have a copy at our branch. When looking further for a 2nd book, I suddenly remembered a book I really like called "Owen and Mzee" by Isabella Hatkoff, so although I didn't get the actual recommendation from the database, it was NoveList that jogged my memory of this lovely story.
The next challenge was to find 2 books for a 13 year old boy interested in ghost stories. I searched the Welles-Turner Memorial Library site for young adult books. Unfortunately, the link to a list of ghost stories, as well as several of the other links, didn't work. I was able to access a list of horror stories, and since I'm not familiar with this genre at all, I found the brief summaries after each title very helpful. I decided to recommend "A Fate Totally Worse Than Death" by Paul Fleischman, and "Cirque du Freak" by Darren Shan (the description told me this series is about vampires, but the Cirque books are so popular I felt I should include them in my choices). Hmmm...I think I need to read both of these!
For the patron who has read everything by Dean Koontz and wants an author read-alike, NoveList recommends Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, and Robert McCammon. The What Should I Read Next site recommends Richard Laymon, Joe McKinney, and W.E.B. Griffin. I thought Stephen King or James Patterson would come up. I wonder why they didn't?
Finding what's next in a series is a breeze with Kent District Library What's Next database. To find the book after "Alanna: the First Adventure", all you have to do is type in the author's name. There are eight series (serae?) by Tamora Pierce. "Alanna..." is the first book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. The rest of the books, in order, are "In the Hand of the Goddess", "The Woman Who Rides Like a Man", and "Lioness Rampant". Piece-O-Cake.
My hero, Nancy Pearl, has stated that the biggest challenge facing librarianship today is that "we have yet to balance the three important functions a library has in a community: information access, providing people with books and material for their recreational learning and reading, and offering quality programs for our patrons. The pendulum swung way over on the information access side and has yet to right itself. We graduate people from library schools (information schools) knowing how to build a website, but not knowing how to recommend a book to someone who comes in asking for something good to read."
Ms. Pearl obviously wasn't talking about individuals completing IHCPL training.
In my opinion, the best way to recommend books is to read lots and lots of them. Go to any book on Amazon.com and scroll to the "customers who bought this item also bought" section, for some surprisingly good suggestions as well. I also like Stacy Alesi's advise on providing great reader's advisory service:
Start off simply: if they're looking for a best seller that isn't on the shelf, ask if they've read other books by that author or authors who write in a similar style.
Ask them for the name of the last good book they read. This can lead you to the style or author or genre or setting that is appealing to your customer.
Always resepect a person's reading tastes. Just because you liked a book doesn't mean everyone will.
Be familiar with current and popular books and know your collection.
Ask customers to share their opinions about books they've read.
I searched for a read-alike using the NoveList data base, for "Pompeii" by Robert Harris. When submitting a request, the user can choose to narrow the search, and so I did that, restricting results to historical fiction and ancient civilizations. The results included "The Price of Victory", "Maia of Thebes", and "Dawn of Empire". I was surprised that, out of the first 20 results, I hadn't heard of any of these titles! Then I proceeded to Fiction_L Booklists, the Morton Grove Public Library's Reader's Advisory website. I searched "genre based lists" and "Historical Fiction of Different Cultures" (just because those seemed like the most appropriate options). The result was different from the NoveList search, and included authors such as Pearl Buck, Ken Follett, and James Michener. The NoveList search was faster...I simply typed the book's title....but I liked the results of the Fiction_L Booklist search better.
Then I looked for 2 books about animals for a 4th grade girl. NoveList has a link for "older children". I clicked on "recommended reads" and "animals", which took me to a linked page of animal groups. When I chose the group "horses", there were oodles of results. I decided I would recommend "Album of Horses" by Marguerite Henry, because my own daughters loved this book, and we have a copy at our branch. When looking further for a 2nd book, I suddenly remembered a book I really like called "Owen and Mzee" by Isabella Hatkoff, so although I didn't get the actual recommendation from the database, it was NoveList that jogged my memory of this lovely story.
The next challenge was to find 2 books for a 13 year old boy interested in ghost stories. I searched the Welles-Turner Memorial Library site for young adult books. Unfortunately, the link to a list of ghost stories, as well as several of the other links, didn't work. I was able to access a list of horror stories, and since I'm not familiar with this genre at all, I found the brief summaries after each title very helpful. I decided to recommend "A Fate Totally Worse Than Death" by Paul Fleischman, and "Cirque du Freak" by Darren Shan (the description told me this series is about vampires, but the Cirque books are so popular I felt I should include them in my choices). Hmmm...I think I need to read both of these!
For the patron who has read everything by Dean Koontz and wants an author read-alike, NoveList recommends Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, and Robert McCammon. The What Should I Read Next site recommends Richard Laymon, Joe McKinney, and W.E.B. Griffin. I thought Stephen King or James Patterson would come up. I wonder why they didn't?
Finding what's next in a series is a breeze with Kent District Library What's Next database. To find the book after "Alanna: the First Adventure", all you have to do is type in the author's name. There are eight series (serae?) by Tamora Pierce. "Alanna..." is the first book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. The rest of the books, in order, are "In the Hand of the Goddess", "The Woman Who Rides Like a Man", and "Lioness Rampant". Piece-O-Cake.
My hero, Nancy Pearl, has stated that the biggest challenge facing librarianship today is that "we have yet to balance the three important functions a library has in a community: information access, providing people with books and material for their recreational learning and reading, and offering quality programs for our patrons. The pendulum swung way over on the information access side and has yet to right itself. We graduate people from library schools (information schools) knowing how to build a website, but not knowing how to recommend a book to someone who comes in asking for something good to read."
Ms. Pearl obviously wasn't talking about individuals completing IHCPL training.
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